Metallica at their peak outshone all their competitors in the thrash metal scene, but lately they've been losing their stylistic marbles. Megadeth have aged much more gracefully - they've maintained their songwriting flair, musical prowess and ethical integrity in their recent work. I think they've shaped up as a much more interesting band.

Want to see what I mean? Listen to "St. Anger" from start to finish, then listen to the first five minutes of "The System Has Failed". The latter snippet contains more musical and lyrical content worth noticing than the former album in its entirety.